Lamonte McLemore facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lamonte McLemore
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McLemore (top) with The 5th Dimension, 1971
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Herman Lamonte McLemore |
| Born | September 17, 1935 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | February 3, 2026 (aged 90) Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. |
| Genres | Pop music |
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Herman Lamonte McLemore (born September 17, 1935, and passed away on February 3, 2026) was a talented American singer, actor, songwriter, and photographer. He was one of the people who started The 5th Dimension, a very famous singing group from the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Contents
Early Life and Beginnings
Herman Lamonte McLemore was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on September 17, 1935.
A Talent for Baseball
Lamonte McLemore was a pioneer in sports. He was the first African American athlete to try out for the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team. After moving to Los Angeles, he played as a strong pitcher in the minor leagues for the Los Angeles Dodgers for a short time.
Capturing Moments: Lamonte's Photography
After finishing high school, McLemore joined the United States Navy. There, he worked as an aerial photographer, taking pictures from airplanes. In 1958, he co-founded a company called Halmont Graphics with Cliff Hall, where he worked as a photographer.
McLemore made history as the first African American photographer hired by Harper's Bazaar magazine. He also took the pictures for Stevie Wonder's very first album cover. For over 40 years, he was a photographer for Jet and Ebony magazines. It was during a photo shoot at the Miss Black Beauty Pageant in the mid-1960s that he met Marilyn McCoo and Florence LaRue. This meeting was very important because it eventually led to the creation of The 5th Dimension singing group. He also worked as a professional photographer for People magazine.
Writing Music for The 5th Dimension
Lamonte McLemore also helped write songs for The 5th Dimension. He co-wrote two songs that the group recorded: "A Love Like Ours" (with Bob Alcivar) and "The Singer" (with Elliot Willensky).
His Life Story and Legacy
Lamonte McLemore was married to Lisa Harvey, and they had a daughter named Ciara. In 2014, he shared his life story in an autobiography titled From the Hobo Flats to The 5th Dimension – A Life Fulfilled in Baseball, Photography, and Music. He wrote this book with Robert-Allan Arno.
Lamonte McLemore passed away peacefully at his home in Las Vegas on February 3, 2026, at the age of 90. He left behind a wonderful legacy in music, photography, and sports.
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